Looking to move to California paradise (San Diego, Pasadena: crime, new home, buy)

[forcestream]

rkb0305, Where would you suggest specifically in the Bay area?

Are there any good liitle towns with these qualities in the San Diego area?

I love the Bay area, but feel like the weather is not as perfect as I we would like. Beats winter in Chicago, though.

[RandalR]

Originally Posted by forcestream

Are there any good liitle towns with these qualities in the San Diego area?

I love the Bay area, but feel like the weather is not as perfect as I we would like. Beats winter in Chicago, though.

Look into La Jolla, Del Mar, and Solana Beach.

[sbfk]

Originally Posted by forcestream

rkb0305, Where would you suggest specifically in the Bay area?

Are there any good liitle towns with these qualities in the San Diego area?

I love the Bay area, but feel like the weather is not as perfect as I we would like. Beats winter in Chicago, though.

thats why i gave you a bunch of south bay options .

People get the notion that all of the "bay area" is foggy/windy/ or cold

go type in san jose on weather.com and youll see the weather is the same as socal

we have things called micro-climates

[AlwaysLooking]

Los Altos, except it may be out of your budget.

[CA central coast]

San Luis Obispo

[the city]

San Luis Obispo or Monterey.

[mmouwse]

I love SLO but... this area is not liberal or highly cultural... it is hicksville and light years in difference when compared to Chicago. Santa Barbara certainly is more cosmopolitan and cultured...larger city... great climate... certainly upper middle to upper to high incomes... liberal??? hmmm not sure but certainly more than SLO. Good schools... I think so... within your price range to buy?? yes, maybe, on the low side.
South Bay area is a good bet for a fit and feel similar to Chicago. Even East bay and silicon valley areas...

[forcestream]

What are the best communities in East Bay? I have been to Walnut Creek and Concord years ago. Not sure if those are considered Easy Bay. What about the areas around Fremont and Hayward? Are Stockton and Tracy too rural in attitude?
Thanks

[Pam-i-am]

We moved to Camarillo, CA last fall and love it. Looking at your list, it has everything you want. The schools are great (good scores), near lots of shopping, 20 minutes to the beach, 45 minutes (with little traffic) to Los Angeles...1 hour if it's bad. I take my daughter to the theater in L.A., the Zoo, the Observatory at Griffin park, etc. And, to the north about an hours drive is Santa Barbara.

The weather here is awesome - we don't have a/c and don't need it. There is a great community feel. It's kinda known as a 'bedroom community' or 'family town.'

Don't know what the town leans towards in politics, don't care.

Hope I've helped.

[jamesandveybe]

Originally Posted by forcestream

1. Mid to Upper middle class
2. Excellent schools
3. Near a bigger city, 30-40 minutes is ok. (theatre, arts, culture)
4. Liberal leaning
5. Awesome weather
6. Community feeling

You will have to visit to decide. Plan on a month here to check it out. Yes, a month. California is so large and diverse, and you will need time to simply move in traffic. OK, to your questions:

1. LA or SF suburbs are where those classes live. Do a search on realtor.com for your price range in California and see what comes up.
2. There are no excellent public schools in CA. Homeschooling or a private school will do your children better than public schools here. The schools here are so bent on not offending the Spanish-speakers that the English-speaking kids have to wait half the class period to even get taught. Forget it. No, it won't get fixed in our lifetimes.
3. To arrange a commute of less than an hour each way, you must live in the city itself. Two hours each way and then you can actually live someplace away from the constant hustle. Three hours each way gets you out in some pecaful surroundings, but it takes those three hours to drive those 90 miles. Yes, you can find solitude in or near the city with a commute of less than one hour, but homes in those neighborhoods start at $2M.
4. Stay away from Orange County and the cities along the coast from LA to San Diego. Try the bay area, almost all libbies except Pacifica.
5. California has awesome weather in general.
6. To get community feeling AND liberal, definitely bay area. Think east bay.